Safety device



May 28, 1935. G. D. ENGLE SAFETY DEVICE Filed May 18, 1934 W 'W 'KVENT;R

Y @7 ATTORNEY Patented May 28, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE" 3 Claims.

This invention relates to safety devices especially adapted for use in connection with casket supporting and lowering devices and has for the primary object the provision of foldable means to be arranged in a grave to prevent a casket while on a support or lowering device from falling into a grave should said device slip or break and may be easily and quickly applied and removed from the grave and may be easily and conveniently carried and stored in a comparatively small space.

With these and other objects in view this invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a top plan View illustrating'a casket holding and lowering device associated with a grave and the latter having safety devices applied thereto and constructed in accordance with my invention,

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevation partly in section illustrating one of the safety devices.

Figure 4 is a sectional View taken on the line 4--4 of Figure 3.

Referring in detail-to the drawing, the numeral l indicates a grave and positioned about the mouth the usual supporting planks 2 on which rests the conventional type of casket supporting and lowering device 3. The supporting and lowering device 3 has been known to break or slip and permit the F casket to fall into the grave and to guard against such an accident safety devices 4 are employed, one being arranged adjacent each end of .the grave in such a manner that should the casket slip or be accidentally released by the supporting or lowering device 3, the casket will immediately come at rest upon the safety devices and thereby be prevented from falling into the grave. The safety devices are of such construction that they may be readily removed from the grave when it is desired to lower the casket. These safety devices are of the same construction and reference in detail to one is thought sufficient for both.

The safety device consists of an adjustable member 5 including telescopic sections 6 and I held in adjusted positions relative to each other by a set bolt 8. The section 6 which receives thesection I has secured in one end a shank 9 and formed integrally with the latter are spaced ears IQ. Similar ears I lware formed integrally with one end of V the section 1'. End members [2 are pivoted to the 5 ears it) and H and their lower ends have extensions l3 arranged at right angles to the end members 12 so thatwhen the latter are positioned ver-- tically the extensions underlie and'engage with the cross member 5. Similar extensions M are 1 formed on the end members l2 adjacent their upper ends. Arms l5 have ears l6 which are pivoted to the end members I2 slightly below the extensions I 4 and when said arms are positioned horizontally they engage withthe extensions l 4. Feet H are journaled on the arms I 5 and during use of the device the'feet ll rest upon opposite planks 2 at the mouth of the grave with the side members depending a short distance into the grave so that the member 5 will traverse the grave and be located directly under the casket. It is to be understood prior to lowering the casket the safety devices are removed-from the grave and may be readfly folded or collapsed so that they can be easily carried and stored in small spaces; 25

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. A safety device comprising an adjustable member, side members hinged to the adjustable member, and supporting arms hinged to the side members to engage with opposite walls of a grave.

2. A safety device comprising a telescopic member, end members hinged to the telescopic member, extensions on the end members to engage 1 with the telescopic member when said end members are arranged at right angles thereto, exten- 3 sions on the end members, arms pivoted to the end members and adapted to be positioned horizontally to engage opposite walls of a grave and to engage with the second-named extensions.

GEORGE D. ENGLE. 5O 

